Rosemont Skatepark ready for action, well almost
By Bruce Fuhr
Skateboarders in Nelson have been waiting a long, long time to perform magic in their own skate park.
Which is why, now that the major work at the Rosemont location is completed, a security fence couldn’t stop 50 to 100 boarders from testing the new Nelson Skatepark during the weekend.
“It’s amazing,” Amy Mattes told The Nelson Daily Tuesday.
Mattes was one of the many dignitaries from Nelson, including Mayor John Dooley, City staff and councillors, KLOPS (Kootenay Lake Outdoor Skatepark Society) supporters, Fire Chief along with sponsors, given a tour of the $600,000 facility located in the Art Gibbons Park in Rosemont.
“It’s a real awesome park,” said Mattes, sporting a few bumps and bruises from the weekend of enjoyment.
“It’s very well built. There are a lot of fast hard lines.”
“This park is going to be well used and well loved,” she adds.
Construction crews have finished most of the work. All that’s really left to complete is the cosmetic lawns and banks around the concrete track.
The 15,000 square foot “All Wheel Park” is suitable for BMXers, mountain bikers, and in-line skaters along with skateboarders.
Langley’s New Line Skateparks was the major contractor during construction.
“You can clearly see this has just been a huge undertaking by everybody involved,” said Nelson Mayor John Dooley.
“I think a lot of people are going to be surprised when they come up here with the product we’ve been left with and all the good work that’s been done by many community groups to try to put this together over the years.”
“In particular, all the contractors and people who came to work here, they really committed to this project and worked under various conditions.”
Some of the major monetary contributors included the Province of BC kicking in a $400,000 Community Recreation Grant as well as the Columbia Basin Trust donation of $61,000.
Local businesses with in-kind donations include Nelson and District Credit Union, Selkirk College, the Martin Hotel Group, Shambhala Music Festival, DDC Excavating, Home Hardware, Maglios, Nelson Ready Mix, and the Lions Club.
Rainy weather during September delayed the official opening set for earlier this month.
However, nothing could keep the boarders out of the park during the weekend.
“It’s pretty special,” Mattes exclaimed.
“Boarding has a huge community and a huge lifestyle and if you don’t have any place to express yourself, you can get a little bit segregated from the own town that way.
“And to have this park is going to create better skateboarders . . .. There already are kids here who are really good but this is going to provide them a place to flourish and they obviously need that.”
Dooley likes the fact the park, which includes the addition of existing bike trails, now gives the many families Rosemont a stake in Nelson’s recreational pie.
“What excites me more about anything is this particular (Rosemont area) neighbourhood we haven’t done that much in terms of recreation,” he said.
“But I think the new skate park is a signal to a real commitment to the recreational opportunities and to tie the skate park in with all the young families that live in Rosemont will be a real benefit to the area.”
Oh, and one further note.
City officials announced Tuesday the skate park is closed probably until Monday (October 28) for touch up maintenance work.
Fences will be once again erected along with the presence of a security guard to keep boarders out.
Ya, like that’s going to work.
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